Wire tightening and splicing tool.



V. WiLLlAMS.

WIRE TIGHTENING AND SPLICING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1914.

1,205,832. Patented Nov. 21, 1916;

WILLIAM WILLIAMS, OF CHESTER, CALIFORNIA.

WIRE TIGHTENING AN D SPLICING TGOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1916.

Application filed June 16, 1914. Serial No. 845,441.

To all whom it may concern): 7

Be it known that I, -WILLIAM WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chester, in the county of Plumas, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire Tightening and Splicing Tools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in a tool adapted particula rly for use in tightening and splicing telephone, telegraph, fence wires and the like.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to provide a tool through the medium of which strands of wire to be joined may be properly stretched to take up any undesirable slack and the ends of said wire brought intoposition for splicing.

Still a further object of my invention is the provision of a tool of this class which will embody in its construction the desired features of simplicity,cfliciency and reliability and which may be manufactured and marketed at a relatively low cost.

Furthermore I propose to provide a tool of this class which may be readily applied to and removed from its operative position, and which may be easily manipulated to quickly perform the functions for which it is intended.

With the above recited objects and others of similar nature in view, my invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and falling within. the scope of the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the tool in position ready to stretch theends of the wire to be joined. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the tool in the position it occupies after the ends have been stretched and the tool turned to twist or overlap the ends of the wire. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken through the locking cam of the tool taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4 1- of Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a view showing the manner of employing the tool to make the splice shown in Fig. 6, and Fig. 6 is a detail view of another form of splice made with my improved device.

In the present instance my tool comprises in Fig. 1. -This clamping section A embodies a bar-like body portion 1 of iron or other suitable material, one end of which is formed withan enlarged eye or bore 2,

through which the crank is inserted. Adjacent this enlarged eye I providea horn 3 which extends at right angles tothe bar 1 and which forms a guide and bearing for one of the wire strands. The opposite end of the clampingmember A is formed with an upturned arm 4 hating an angular or lateral end 5 in which is journaled the pivot bolt 6 of the eccentric or cam 7, the bearing or gripping face of the cam be ing corrugated as at 8. The handle for operating the cam to bring it into and out of wire gripping position is shown at 9. It is to be noted that when the end of the wire is to be gripped'by the cam the latter isturned to its locked position and the wire gripped between the corrugated or gripping face of the cam and the [KljZlCGIlt side 10 of thearm i. The numeral 11 designates a second horn which extends in the same direction as the arm 4., and is spaced apart therefrom as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, this horn being arranged on the opposite side of the bar 1 from the horn 3.

The crank portion B of the tool is formed at one end. with a handle or gripping section 12 and at its opposite end terminates in a shank 13 which is adapted to be inserted through the eye 2 of the clamp member, this shank 13 having a bore or hole 14!: extending therethrough through which the end of a wire strand may be passed, while 15 indicates a collar at the inner end of the shank member. which collar forms an abutment or stop for limiting the movement of the shank through the eye in one direction.

The above is a description of the mechanical features of my invention, and the manner of using the same will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 wherein I have shownthe tool as employed in stretching and splicing the ends of two strands of wire. One of the strands is indicated at W, while the other strand is shown at W. In using the tool the crank portion thereof is connected with the clamping part as shown in Fig. 1, and one of the wires, for

instance, the wire W, runs between the shank section 13 and the horn 3 and has its terminal clamped by the eccentric" cam 7, as will be readily understood. lhe opposite wire W is passed between the spur 1 1 and the arm 4, and l as its terminal inserted in the hole of the shank 13, a wra or so being taken to insure that the end of the Wire will not slip. The device is now ready for tightening the strandsof Wire to take up slack as shown in Fig. 1, and this tightening is accomplished by turning the crank handle 12, which results in drawing the Wire strands as will be readily understood. lVhen the strands have been sufficiently tightened the tool. is tilted or canted, as shownin' Fig. 9, to make a complete Wrap of one Wire about the other as shown at and is then rotated with the Wires as an axis to coil the end of each strand about itself. To effect the splice shown in Fig. 6, the tool employed merely as a tightenei' to drmiv taut in (Wei-lapping relation the broken ends of a Wire, and is then tilted canted to partially twist the Wires as shown in Fig. pair of ordinary pliers is" now employed to hold the Wrapped strands at their point of connection, the pliers being held will one hand While the operator removes the tool with the other hand. A s' )lic in 2j tool, not shown, is then employed to coil the end of each strand forward about the opposite strand and the splice is complete.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

it will be observed that I have provided an exceedingly simple yet eificient tool for use in tightening and' splicing Wires, and said tool will be found particularly advantageous for farmers, linemen, and others.

lVhile I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of my invention, I Wish it te be understood that I do not confine myself to all the precise details of construction herein set forth by Way of ill n'stration, as modification and Variation may be made Without departing from the spirit of the in ention or exceeding the scope or the appended claim.

hat I claim is:--

A tool of the class described comprising a body member ha ing a bearing portion at one end, a lateral extension at the other end of the body mei'nber, means carriedby and coeperati'ng with the extension to clampii'ig'ly enga e a whe second extension in close relation to the first xtension, a crank n'ienibe'r including a shank rotatably mounted in the bearing and adapted to enga e a Wire, and a lateral extension on the body adjacent the shank, said shank and eXt ensions being substantially parallel one to the other.

In testimony whereof, I my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM WiLLIAMs.

itness'es HARVEY WILLIAMS, EDGAR C. O'Lsnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washingtdn, D. C. 

